Original Article

Assessment of forensic reports prepared by the department of forensic medicine ofgulhane military medical academy between 2006-2011

10.5455/gulhane.33751

  • Sait Ozsoy
  • Harun Tuğcu

Received Date: 01.03.2013 Accepted Date: 18.07.2013 Gulhane Med J 2014;56(1):21-26

Besides providing preventative and curative healthcare Services, physicians have responsibility to prepare forensic reports. As they hold a crucial place for victims and suspects in the course of adjudication, these reports must be prepared in line with certain standards. This study aims to present and discuss the epidemiological characteristics of the reports prepared bythe Department of Forensic Medicine of Gülhane Military Medical Academy (GMMA).

İn this cross-sectional study, reports prepared by the Department of Forensic Medicine of GMMA between 01.01.2006 -12.31.2011 were examined retrospectively. Statistical analysis was performed on epidemiological characteristics of the cases, dates that the events took place, injury sites and data obtained according to injury qualifications deflned in clauses 86 and 87 ofthe Turkish Penal Code (TPC).

The number of forensic reports prepared by Department of Forensic Medicine of GMMA between January 2006 and December 2011 was 2238. Average age ofthe cases was 24.7±6.8years (min=3, max=70) and 97.6% (n=2185) ofthem were male. 82.5% (n=1848) ofthe cases was the group of 20-29 years.

According to the type of the event, injuries in 50% ofthe cases were because of battery. Other frequent reasons were flrearm injuries (14.7%; n=330), traffic accidents (12.3%; n=275) and explosive injuries (9.1%; n=204).

According to the part ofthe body, in 1242 cases (55.5%), the most common sites of injury were head and neck. Skeletal system fractures were detected in 887 cases, and fractures were found to be most frequent in the head and neck site (in 287 cases; 12.8%).

According to clauses 86 and 87 of TPC, 55.8% (n=1248) were not mild, thatwere requiring more than a simple medical intervention, and 19.8% (443) were life threatening. İn 19% (n=425) of the cases, persistent functional weakness or loss of function in one of the organs was observed.

Keywords: Trauma, injuries, wounds, medico- legal report, Turkish Penal Code.